KevinMD's Take, April 16, 2014

Is being a physician a good gig or not?

In a piece that's gone viral, internist Daniela Drake writes a strongly-worded column about how miserable it is to be a physician: "To be sure, many people with good intentions are working toward solving the healthcare crisis. But the answers they’ve come up with are driving up costs and driving out doctors. Maybe it’s too much to ask for empathy, and maybe physician lives don’t matter to most people.

But for America’s health to be safeguarded, the wellbeing of America’s caretakers is going to have to start mattering to someone."

And she brings up many points: the paperwork, the eroding respect from the public, and the increasing burdens of maintaining certification. I'm quoted in the piece, saying, "There’s a media narrative that blames physicians for things the doctor has no control over." I stand by that quote, which is why I spend as much time as I do making KevinMD.com a visible, influential media platform where the public can hear physicians' voices free from media bias.

Pediatrician Aaron Carroll counters, however, saying that being a doctor is rewarding, and applications to medical school are at an all-time high. Valid points.

The thing is, while public respect of physicians is relatively high compared to other professions, it shouldn't be taken for granted. Attacking physicians is low-hanging fruit for policy experts and health reformers. On the surface, doctors are well-compensated, and often don't fight back in the media -- either they're too busy with patients, or don't have the media contacts or savvy. If physicians take their respect for granted, it will slowly erode.

So it's important to have the conversation on physician dissatisfaction. It's important to discuss the myriad of paperwork and bureaucratic mandates that obstruct doctors from giving the best care they can to patients. Left unchecked, the physician profession will become completely demoralized, and patients will suffer because of it.

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